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29.06.2026: An eventful June

Dear friends of our museum,

We can look back on a very eventful June 2026. At last, we are accessible by rail once again. On 14 June 2026, Deutsche Bahn opened the (Hamburg –) Hagenow – Berlin line to public transport, six weeks later than originally planned. On the one hand, we were very pleased about this.

On the other hand, the construction delays unfortunately meant that on 13 June – the first day of our ‘Summer Steam 2026’ event – our visitors could only reach us by road. It was also extremely difficult to bring in guest rolling stock, although the Neustrelitz railcar 771 001 and the electric locomotive 188 105 did manage to make it to us. Unfortunately, the announced diesel locomotive 202 655 could not be transferred, as its commercial operations were not compatible with the limited time slots available for transfer via the construction tracks. It’s a bit of a shame, but what didn’t work out this time will certainly be possible in the future.

Right up until the very end, test runs were still taking place on the lines around Wittenberge. Heavy freight trains filled with ballast were constantly travelling along the lines to ‘run in’ the new tracks. A test multiple unit was also in operation, which resembles the familiar ICE multiple units in design. The first two pictures show the multiple unit from the outside and a view from its driver’s cab window of the Elbe bridge in Wittenberge.




Our event was well attended. We welcomed around 1,400 guests. That is a pleasingly high figure, given that – at least on Saturday – the only way to get there was by car or bus. One of the highlights of the event was undoubtedly the sightseeing tours through Wittenberg harbour. We would like to extend our warmest thanks to our colleagues from the Hafenbahn Neustrelitz e.V. association, who made these tours possible with their railcars.

The presence of locomotive 188 105 certainly provided a unique contrast. Not only was it painted entirely white, but it was also just a few days old and had not even clocked up 1,000 kilometres on the odometer. Quite a contrast to our museum vehicles, some of which have already clocked up millions of kilometres during their active service. Special thanks go to Steven Schacht, who looked after the locomotive.

The rest of the supporting programme was also impressive. It included turntable demonstrations, handcar rides, rides on the Breuer tractor and opportunities to ride in the driver’s cab of our steam locomotive EMMA, as well as tours of our Wm signal box and our disaster relief train. Our little museum train also made its rounds around the site. A new feature this time was that, during our circular tours around the station area, we now pass through remotely controlled points. Over the festival weekend, the points were operated from Berlin. A big thank you once again to the Berlin signalmen at DB Netz. Everything went extremely smoothly.

On 13 June, the town of Wittenberge also held a grand opening ceremony for the station building. Many of our visitors therefore took the opportunity to explore the newly renovated building and were delighted. We say “Congratulations, Wittenberge!”.

We’ve now been thinking about which photos to share with you in this newsletter. We’ve gathered quite a few, and most of them are excellent and capture the atmosphere well. We’ve therefore decided to include a link to a slideshow here, so you can enjoy the photos at your leisure. The slideshow lasts about 5 minutes. So, what could be better than grabbing a drink now or later and taking your time to look through the photos? Click on the link below to open the slideshow. Enjoy!

https://1drv.ms/v/c/fc75646ec636605a/IQDafcMVRdebRp8UHobPV5X0AV1YHHrUOyzPTm3B1d2W0d8?e=RBf3k6

What else has been happening? First of all, diesel locomotive 118 748 has temporarily left us, as some work still needs to be carried out on an engine and the roof sealing. We are also taking this opportunity to fit a new digital radio system. The following three pictures show it being transferred to Gera and during the fitting of the radio system.





Work has also continued on our steam locomotive 50 3682. The boiler has now been exposed to such an extent that it can soon be lifted off the frame.



As you can see, things are always exciting here. If you were unable to make it to our last event, you’re welcome to visit us on Saturdays between 10.00 and 17.00 (last admission at 16.00) to watch our colleagues at work. Who knows, perhaps you’ll get the itch to have a go yourself? We’d be delighted to have you!
vehicle: 50 3624-9

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